Frontal Polymerization of Dicyclopentadiene: A Numerical Study.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Frontal polymerization is a promising manufacturing technique for polymer-matrix fiber-reinforced composites.
• It offers advantages in speed and energy efficiency over traditional methods.
• Understanding the fundamental behavior of polymerization fronts is crucial for process optimization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To numerically investigate the initiation and propagation of polymerization fronts in dicyclopentadiene (DCPD).
• To analytically study the steady-state propagation characteristics of the polymerization front.
• To predict and analyze the thermal spike resulting from the merger of two polymerization fronts.

Main Methods:

• Finite-element-based numerical simulations for transient thermochemical analysis.
• Analytical study of steady-state front propagation.
• Investigation of the relationship between cure kinetics and front characteristics (velocity, length scales).
• Analysis of thermal spike amplitude influenced by the degree of cure at front merger.

Main Results:

• Established a link between cure kinetics models and polymerization front characteristics like velocity and length scales.
• Identified that merging polymerization fronts can cause detrimental thermal spikes due to insufficient heat dissipation.
• Quantified the effect of the degree of cure at merger on the amplitude of the thermal spike.

Conclusions:

• The study provides critical insights into the physics governing frontal polymerization of DCPD.
• The findings are essential for controlling polymerization front behavior and mitigating thermal issues in composite manufacturing.
• This research contributes to the development of more efficient and reliable composite manufacturing processes.